---
title: Your mate goes "they're, their, there, same thing innit, sounds the… — Spelling traps: their, there, they're… · tree and pragmatics
description: Your mate goes "they're, their, there, same thing innit, sounds the same." What's the best reply? Test 1 of lesson 12 «Spelling traps: their, there, they're and friends» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova'
---

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# Test 1 · Spelling traps: their, there, they're and friends

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Your mate goes "they're, their, there, same thing innit, sounds the same." What's the best reply?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** mate, best reply · **What happens:** go, sound, be · **To what, where:** same

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 1 of lesson 12 «Spelling traps: their, there, they're and friends» of the language course of Mova's primary school. The page gives the question's syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause, then the 4 options as the student saw them, each with its tree and pragmatics. Every text is parsed by Mova itself. How the student answered it, with the score of every option and why: [the test at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/language/12-spelling-traps-their-there-theyre/#t1).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Your mate goes "they're, their, there, same thing innit, sounds the same."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:12-spelling-traps-their-there-theyre:t1:1
# text = Your mate goes "they're, their, there, same thing innit, sounds the same."
1	Your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	mate	mate	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	goes	go	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	're	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
8	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
10	there	there	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	3	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
12	same	same	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
13	thing	thing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	compound	_	_
14	innit	innit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
16	sounds	sound	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
17	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
18	same	same	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **go** | present | Your mate |  |  | there |  |  | vn disappearance-48.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **sound** *in a quote* | present | Your mate *not said here* | the same |  |  |  |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location same=Theme |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* What's the best reply?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:12-spelling-traps-their-there-theyre:t1:2
# text = What's the best reply?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	best	good	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	5	amod	_	_
5	reply	reply	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the best reply |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They're is American, their is British

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:12-spelling-traps-their-there-theyre:t1:o1:1
# text = They're is American, their is British
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	're	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	American	American	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
6	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
8	British	British	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | They |  |  |  |  | american *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present | They *not said here* |  |  |  |  | british *property* | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He's right, any of them works because they sound the same

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:12-spelling-traps-their-there-theyre:t1:o2:1
# text = He's right, any of them works because they sound the same
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
5	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	8	nsubj	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nmod	_	_
8	works	work	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
9	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
10	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
11	sound	sound	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	advcl	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	same	same	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | He |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **work** | present | any |  |  |  |  |  | vn employment-95.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **sound** | present | they | the same |  |  |  |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location same=Theme |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They sound alike but mean different things, so writing needs the right one

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:12-spelling-traps-their-there-theyre:t1:o3:1
# text = They sound alike but mean different things, so writing needs the right one
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	sound	sound	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	alike	alike	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	xcomp	_	_
4	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
5	mean	mean	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
6	different	different	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	things	thing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
9	so	so	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
10	writing	writing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
11	needs	need	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	parataxis	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	one	one	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sound** | present | They |  |  |  |  | alike *property* | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V ADJ»: agent=Stimulus |
| 2 | **mean** | present | They *not said here* | different things |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent thing=Topic |
| 3 | **need** | present | writing | the right one |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP ADV»: agent=Pivot one=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Only "there" is a real word

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:12-spelling-traps-their-there-theyre:t1:o4:1
# text = Only "there" is a real word
1	Only	only	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
2	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	there	there	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	real	real	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl:unmarked	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** *in a quote* | present |  |  |  |  |  | a real word *obl:unmarked*; there *property* | tree rules |

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**Text:** the tests of Mova's primary school, written for Mova (`world/data/school/`), as the course runner gave them to the student. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each text read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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